Paint reservoir and applicator assembly



Nov. 3, 1970 F. MOCERI 3,537,800

PAINT RESERVOIR AND APPLICATOR ASSEMBLY Filed Oct. 10, 1968 INVENTOR FRANCESCO MOCERI United States Patent 3,537,800 PAINT RESERVOIR AND APPLICATOR ASSEMBLY Francesco Moceri, 733 Lantz W., Detroit, Mich. 48203 Filed Oct. 10, 1968, Ser. No. 766,460 Int. Cl. B44d 3/28 US. Cl. 401-193 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A paint reservoir and applicator assembly is provided. The assembly includes a handle structure which carries an axle. The handle structure comprises a flexible paint reservoir. A roller is rotatably mounted on the axle along with a guide wheel. The roller has an outer paint receiving and transferring surface which is tapered inwardly towards the center of the roller. The guide wheel also has an angled surface for guiding the mechanism during use. A nozzle extends from the reservoir to the roller. Paint may be dispensed from the reservoir to the roller by manual depression of the handle structure. The outer portion of the nozzle is curved around the guide wheel to dispense paint tangentially onto the guide wheel. This portion may be rotated 180 to a position on either side of the roller to facilitate use of the assembly at different angles and positions and with the roller rotating in different directions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A common problem in the painting of architectural surfaces is the coating of edge strips or surfaces adjacent to surfaces which are not to be painted. For example, the sash edge surface of a window which is adjacent to the window glass must be painted without applying paint to the glass. Similarly, a molding strip along a wall is frequently painted a different color than the wall surface. Therefore, when the molding strip is painted, care must be taken not to apply paint to the wall surface. In the past, painters have utilized a small brush and laboriously painted such trim surfaces. Not only is such painting time consuming but frequently the surface which is not desired to be painted is inadvertently coated. In my copending application Ser. No. 721,389, filed Apr. 15, 1968, I have disclosed a paint trim roller and adjustable guide assembly which permits the painting of said trim surfaces quickly and efficiently without applying paint to the surface which is not to be painted. That assembly incorporates a roller mechanism which may be provided in different sizes to accommodate different widths of surfaces. A guide wheel is provided for guiding the mechanism during the painting operation. The guide wheel does not carry paint. The guide wheel may be adjusted with reference to its distance from the roller so that different sized trim moldings may be painted.

The present invention comprises a modification and improvement of the device just disclosed. In the present invention, I have provided a handle structure which includes a flexible paint reservoir with a nozzle extending from the reservoir to the roller. Squeezing of the handle results in paint being automatically dispensed from the reservoir onto the roller. The nozzle includes a portion which may be turned 180 to thereby permit dispensing Patented Nov. 3, 1970 of paint onto the roller on either side thereof. Additionally, the present invention provides adjustable collar means which frictionally engage the axle upon which the roller and guide wheel are mounted which permit quick and easy adjustment of these members and which are in themselves inexpensive to manufacture.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The paint reservoir and applicator assembly comprises a handle structure. An axle is carried by the handle structure. A roller is rotatably mounted on the axle. The roller has an outer paint receiving and transferring surface. A guide wheel is also rotatably mounted on the axle. The handle comprises a flexible paint reservoir. A nozzle extends from the reservoir to the roller. Paint may be dispensed from the reservoir onto the roller by manual depression of the handle structure.

The nozzle includes an outer portion which is rotatable to be positioned on either side of the roller. This portion is curved around the roller to provide an angle of dispensing which is substantially tangential to the outer periphery of the roller. Adjustable spacing means are provided to position the roller and guide wheel at predetermined distances apart. The spacing means includes a pair of press-fit collars.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a paint reservoir and applicator assembly forming one embodiment of the present invention illustratively shown in use;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the device of FIG. 1 with portions of the applicator in section;

FIG. 3 is a view of the upper portion of the device of FIG. 2 as viewed in the direction of the arrow;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 with the dispensing nozzle rotated 180; and

FIG. 5 is a view in section taken substantially along the line 55 of FIG. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

The paint reservoir and applicator assembly 10 comprises a hand engageable tubular reservoir member 12 from which extends a cylindrical rod 14 and a dispensing nozzle 16. The reservoir 12 is preferably fabricated of a flexible plastic material such as nylon which may be deformed by squeezing to dispense the contents of the reservoir, namely, liquid paint. The reservoir 12 comprises a tubular side wall structure 18 the lower end of which is enclosed by a bottom wall 20. The upper end of the reservoir is provided with an externally threaded neck 22. An internally threaded cap 24 is received on the neck 22. The cap 24 encloses the upper end of the reservoir and may be removed for filling or emptying of the reservoir.

The rod 14 and nozzle 16 are mounted on the cap 24. As will be noted in FIG. 2, a disc 26 is received within the cap 24. The diameter of the disc 26 is slightly less than the interior diameter of the cap for reception of the disc 26 within the cap. A lip 27 is provided in the cap to space the disc apart from the upper end wall 28 thereof. The rod 14 extends through openings in the disc 26 and in wall 28 of the cap to thereby be frictionally secured at two spaced apart points to result in a stable mounting of the rod free from wobble.

The rod 14 has a first straight portion 30 which extends outwardly from the reservoir 12. The rod 14 is then bent at an angle somewhat less than right angularly and a second straight portion 32 extends therefrom. The portion 32 merges with a straight portion 34 which is bent somewhat less than right angularly thereto and which in turn merges with a straight portion 36 bent right angularly thereto and back toward the straight position 30.

The straight portion 36 serves as an axle for rotatably mounting a disc-like guide wheel 38. The guide wheel 38 is preferably fabricated of a plastic material. A hub 40 is provided on the guide wheel 38. A flange 42 extends radially outwardly from the hub 40. The flange 42 has a convex face 44 which acts as a guide surface in use of the device. A split-ring collar 46 is frictionally received on the portion 36 in abutment with the hub 40. The collar 46 serves to retain the guide wheel 38 in the position shown. The guide wheel 38 may be moved to different positions along the portion 36 by sliding the collar 46 and guide wheel 38 to the desired position on the portion 36.

A disc-like roller member 48 is received on the portion 36 forwardly of the guide wheel 38. The roller member 48, like the guide wheel 38, is freely rotatable on the portion 36. A second press-fit split-ring collar 50 is provided on the portion 36 between the guide wheel 38 and roller member 48. The collar 50 serves to retain the roller member 48 in place and to space the guide wheel 38 and rollr er member 48 apart the desired distance. Various sized collars may be used to permit variations in the distance between the guide wheel 38 and roller member 48 as necessary for a particular job. Both the collars 46 and 50 are preferably fabricated of a plastic material having sufficient resiliency to maintain frictional engagement with the portion 36 and thus retain the guide wheel 38 and roller member 48 in place during use of the device.

The outer peripheral edge 52 of the roller 48 is beveled inwardly toward the guide wheel 38. The edge 52 is covered by a covering 54 of a fabric material suitable for receiving paint and transferring the same to surfaces which it is desired to paint. The covering 54 is preferably a material which has nap or hairs which project radially outwardly. The covering material may be, for example, velvet, felt, woven cloth, pile fabric, carpeting, or the like.

It will be appreciated from the description thus far that either or both of the guide wheel 38 or roller 48 may be removed and replaced with a member of different diameter or thickness to the end that the device may be used on a variety of dilferent jobs. For example, rollers of from ,5 to 3" may be provided.

A screw 56 is received in a threaded opening in the end of the portion 36 with a washer 58 being placed between the head of the screw and the end of the portion 36 to thereby lock the various elements onto the portions 36.

The nozzle 16 comprises a first tubular element 60 which is fixed in position and which extends from an opening in the disc 26 through an opening in the end wall 28 and terminates exteriorly of the reservoir 12. A second tubular member 62 is rotatably received in the outer end 64 of the tubular member 60. The tubular member 60 may be fabricated of a plastic material while the tubular member 62 may be fabricated of a metallic material, It will be noted that the end 66 of the tubular member 62 is threaded. This threaded portion provides a frictional connection between the tubular members while still permitting rotation of the tubular member 62. The tubular member 62 has a first straight portion 68 which extends toward the roller 48 and terminates just short thereof. A curved portion 70 then extends around the roller 48 and terminates in an open end 72. The curvature of portion 70 is substantially the same as the curvature of the roller 48 and thus paint is dispensed tangentially onto the edge 52 of the roller.

A vent tube 74 extends from an opening in the d1sc 26 through an opening in the end wall 28 and terminates a short distance outside of the cap 24. The vent 74 permits the ingress of air into the reservoir 12 as liquid is pensed therefrom.

Cir

Operation of the assembly 10 may now be understood. Referring to FIG. 1, the assembly 10 is designed to paint an edge surface such as the edge 76 of a sash frame 78. It will be noted that the edge 76 extends to the surface of the sash glass 80, It is, of course, not desired to have any paint applied to the glass. The assembly 10 is first set up for painting the particular sash in question. This involves selecting a roller 48 the edge surface 52 of which is equal to the width of the edge 76 to be painted. This roller is mounted on the assembly. The guide wheel 38 is then adjusted to a position where the distance between the face 44 of flange 42 is such that the face 44 will contact and roll on the sash frame surface 82 with the edge 52 of the roller riding on the edge 76 of the sash frame without having any contact with the glass 80. The bevel of the roller edge 52 angles the roller away from the glass to prevent inadvertent contact of the roller with the glass. The face 44 of the guide wheel 38 provides an even surface for maintaining the roller 48 in the position illustrated in FIG. 1. The physical dimensions of the assembly 10 govern the path and swath of roller 48 with the results that the edge 76 is entirely coated with paint without any of the paint being applied to the glass 80.

During the painting operation, the side wall 18 of the reservoir 12 may be squeezed to cause dispensing of paint from the nozzle 16 through the open end 72 thereof onto the roller 48 as needed. It will thus be appreciated that it is not necessary to apply paint to the roller 48 from an external paint supply. This convenience permits rapid painting of the sash frame.

As will be noted in FIGS. 3 and 4, the tubular portion 62 may be swung to a position on either side of the roller member 48. This is desirable when the assembly 10 is to be used in such a fashion that the roller 48 is to be rotated in different directions on the surface to be painted. It is desirable that the nozzle be so positioned as to direct paint in the same direction as rotation, that is, in FIG. 3, the roller 48 preferably rotates clockwise while in FIG. 4 the roller 48 preferably rotates counterclockwise. This is, however, not necessary. The roller may rotate in either direction while paint is being dispensed thereon and, in some cases, the position of the tubular member 62 is shifted so that it will be out of the way of the structure to be painted and permit the assembly to be used at different angles and positions.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A paint reservoir and applicator assembly comprising a handle structure, an axle carried by said handle structure, a roller rotatably mounted on the axle, said roller having an outer paint receiving and transferring surface, a guide wheel rotatably mounted on the axle, said handle comprising a flexible paint reservoir, and a nozzle extending from the reservoir to the roller whereby paint may be dispensed from the reservoir onto the roller by manual compression of the handle structure.

2. An assembly as defined in claim 1 and further characterized in that said nozzle includes an outer tubular portion, said tubular portion being rotatable, the outer section of said tubular portion being curved around the roller and terminating in an open end directed generally tangentially to the outer periphery of the roller, said tubular portion being rotatable to positions 180 displaced with respect to the roller.

3. An assembly as defined in claim 1 and further characterized in the provision of adjustable press-fit collar means to position said roller and guide wheel on said axle at predetermined distances apart.

4. An assembly as defined in claim 3 and further characterized in that said collar means comprises at least one collar on said axle for each of the roller and guide Wheels, said collars being positionable adjacent the respective roller and guide wheel to restrain longitudinal movement thereof along the axle, each collar being frictionally retained on the axle to restrain longitudinal movement of the collars along the axle.

5. An assembly as defined in claim 1 and further characterized in that a U-shaped support is provided at the outer end of the handle structure, said axle forming the outermost leg of said U-shaped support, the end of said axle terminating at a point beyond the nozzle, said roller and said nozzle being in alignment with each other.

6. An assembly as defined in claim 5 and further characterized in that said handle structure includes spaced apart wall means, said U-shaped support including a portion extending into the handle structure and secured to the spaced apart wall means to thereby provide a stable mounting.

7. An assembly as defined in claim 6 and further char- 6 acterized in that said nozzle structure is secured to said spaced apart wall means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 

